Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout

MCCLOUD, California

California

Free — you'll pick up right here.

No verdict for this campground

We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.

What we do know

  • Inside Shasta-Trinity National Forest

    2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.

    Boundary data

What's missing

  • No access route mapped

    We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.

Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.

Campsite availability

Live from Recreation.gov for Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout.

Book on Recreation.gov
Oct 10 – Oct 17
7 nights

We'll watch 2026-10-10 → 2026-10-17 and email you the moment something frees up. No account needed.

Used only for this alert — not a newsletter, and one click to stop.

Here's your stay, mapped

Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout

Suggested plan · check conditions before you go

Building your full AI plan…

Gear for the day

Building your gear list…

Meals

Building your meal plan…
More about this campground ↓

Photos

About this campground

Overview Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout was constructed in the 1920s and was used by the Forest Service on a regular basis until 1978. It is one of the few remaining historic lookouts in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The lookout is still used by the Forest Service in times of extreme fire danger. The lookout is accessible by car, but the last 4 miles are on unpaved roads and difficult for RVs and cars with trailers to navigate. Visitors must bring many of their own supplies. The accommodations of this lookout may be rustic, but the views guarantee that visitors will have a memorable stay. Recreation Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout is an ideal location for sightseeing and bird watching, and it's a photographer's dream. Visitors in search of more active pursuits can drive a short distance to hike and explore the many nearby hills, clearings and caves. Medicine Lake has a day use area with a large swim beach and a boat dock. Facilities The lookout is a 14x14 wooden cabin that sits on the ground. Front steps lead up to the entrance and a wooden deck surrounds it. It's equipped with a wood stove, two cots, a shovel, a bucket, storage cabinets, dining table, cleaning gear and a fire extinguisher. A barbecue pit and picnic table are located outside. A vault toilet is housed in a separate building. This facility houses a maximum of four people. The lookout has no cooking facilities, water, bedding or electricity. Visitors must bring their own water supply and garbage bags to pack out their trash. Recommended supplies include food, toilet paper, linens and blankets, firewood, cooking utensils, extra batteries and a flashlight or lantern. Visitors should also remember to bring the reservation confirmation and the lock combination. The use of portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel is allowed with a valid California campfire permit (click here for more details on Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout). Natural Features Little Mt. Hoffman is a cinder cone on the flanks of Medicine Lake Highland, the largest identified volcano within California, which extends roughly 15 miles east to west and 25 miles north to south. Medicine Lake Highland has a caldera that is partially filled by Medicine Lake. Little Mt. Hoffman sits on the rim of this caldera at 7,309 feet, providing a panoramic view of this diverse volcanic landscape. Visitors can see a spectacular view of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen and southern Oregon's Mt. McLoughlin. The panorama includes the Tulelake Basin to the north, the Fall River Valley in the east and the Medicine Lake Highlands to the south. Charges & Cancellations A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Late cancellations are subject to additional fees. For full details see NRRS Reservation Policy .

Campsite info

Sites
1
Site types
Cabin
Reservable
Yes
Vault toilets
Reserve a site

Directions & GPX

Facts about this campground

Where it is

Managed by
Forest Service

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1

Conditions

Active alerts for Shasta-Trinity National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Add to a trip & share